Exploring the rock of Gibraltar

Up until a few weeks before this trip, Gibraltar had not even entered by mind as a country to visit.

What was there to see really?

A rock?

Well, yes admittedly you won’t need too much time to explore but it’s still definitely worth a look…especially if you’re a monkey lover!

I actually had an ulterior motive for going to Gibraltar which was work related. Our company was setting up a new team and I went there for a week to help with the transition. Thanks work! Unfortunately as the trip was for business I only had one full day to explore so I knew that I had to make the most of it.

I also knew it would involve the rock and seeing the monkeys!

At 8am, my colleague and I set off with a mission to reach the peak or at least get to the highest point that we possibly could. Getting to the actual rock to start our incline was pretty simple, having said that we did take a wrong turn at the beginning and ended up adding an additional 60-100 stairs to our journey – I really really don’t like stairs!

We started off from the town on the northern side (or to the left of the rock if you’re facing it) and made our way upwards passing Moorish Castle and our very first Barbary Macaque!

Seeing him (I decided it was a ‘him’ called George) sitting there so peacefully immediately put my nerves to rest. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting from wild apes but I had heard some stories about some not so good experiences on the rock. People feeding them scraps of food has made them confident and sometimes aggressive. I was half expecting him to leap off of the roof and attempt to steal my camera! Alas, nope. George was extremely cool, calm and in his own chilled out world.

With every incline the scenery became more and more beautiful. That mountain in the distance in Spain looked very inviting.

We encountered another friend along the way!

Some other unexpected friends were spotted too. Its ears perked up at the sound of my camera clicking, bless. Sorry bunny!

We managed to find a path to the newly opened Windsor Bridge which is a suspended bridge built over a 50 metre gorge. I’m pretty good with heights but for the faint hearted it might be a little unnerving!

The walk around the rock was surprisingly peaceful despite being such a touristic spot. I guess it was a good thing that we had left so early. It also seemed to have affected notoriously naughty monkeys which were remarkably calm in our presence. That’s not to say that I wasn’t still a bit nervous. Being in such a close proximity to these amazing animals you realise just how much you are in their territory. They won’t give a damn if you want to pass them by on a narrow stairwell. You wait for them, not the other way around and that’s fine by me.

I arrived nervous and left in total awe for these amazing creatures! I could have watched them for hours.

If you’re stopping by Gibraltar I highly recommend visiting the rock on foot if you’re able to. You’ll have so many more spontaneous and quieter moments with the monkeys than you would if you’re in a tour bus (which are plentiful if that’s the option you’d like to choose). There’s also the cable car to take you to the top which I think would be a cool experience too, especially if you’re not a fan of steps and hills!

If stalactites and stalagmites are your thing then a visit to St Michael’s Cave is a must. Thousands of years of rainwater seeping into the limestone has turned the rock into this magnificent cave fit for a genie. The light show in the auditorium space really sets the mood and if you’re lucky, there may just be someone with a fantastic voice to resonate around the cave. Don’t Cry for me Argentina sounds pretty epic with cave acoustics, trust me!

Our final stop before making our way back down were The Great Siege Tunnels; a 52 kilometre network of tunnels inside of the rock. Heading in alone felt a little eery. I can only imagine what it must have been like for the soldiers who had lived inside there.

There’s plenty of interesting information to read inside the tunnels which left my imagination wandering here there and everywhere.

You can purchase a ticket which gives you access to all of the above and more by visiting St Michaels Cave for just a small fee (less than 20 euros).

It may not have been a location on my bucket list but meeting wild monkeys close up should have been. I had an amazing day and if there had been more time I would have ventured up the rock again alone.

Share this:

Like this:

Related

Published by Simmy

I'm forever dreaming up my next destination with my partner in crime. I don't like staying in one place for too long although my home base has been Malta for a long time.
Taking photos is one of my joys in life as well as reading and listening to music.
I also love tea and stationery.
View all posts by Simmy